Female sterilisation
An operation that blocks or removes the fallopian tubes to stop you getting pregnant, intended as a permanent and irreversible form of contraception.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- Sterilisation blocks or removes the fallopian tubes so egg and sperm cannot meet; it is intended to be permanent and should be treated as irreversible.
- It is very effective but not perfect — pregnancy can still happen years later, and if it does there is a higher chance it is ectopic (in the tube), which is a medical emergency.
- Long-acting reversible contraception (the implant or a coil) is at least as effective, has no operation or anaesthetic, and can be removed if you change your mind.
- Around 1 in 10 people later regret being sterilised, and regret is more likely when you are younger or decide at a stressful time, such as around a birth.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your surgeon will give you advice for your situation.
Very effective, permanent contraception once confirmed
You are not completely certain you never want children, or you might feel differently if your circumstances changed — a reversible method is safer.
You recover from the general anaesthetic and go home the same day. Expect some tummy or shoulder-tip discomfort from the gas, and mild soreness around the...
Clear written confirmation of when you can stop other contraception and rely on the sterilisation.
You recover from the general anaesthetic and go home the same day. Expect some tummy or shoulder-tip discomfort...
Discomfort eases and many people return to light activity or work within a few days. Keep the wounds clean and dry...
The small wounds heal and stitches dissolve or are removed. You can usually return to normal activity, including...
Keep using your usual contraception until your clinician confirms it is safe to stop. Sterilisation is not relied...
What is female sterilisation?
Female sterilisation is an operation that blocks, seals or removes the fallopian tubes. The tubes normally carry an egg from the ovary to the womb, so blocking them stops the egg and sperm meeting. Your ovaries, womb and periods carry on as before; the egg that is released each month is simply reabsorbed by your body.
It is meant to be a permanent method of contraception. It is for people who are completely sure they never want children, or never want more children. It is not designed to be undone.
Reversal operations exist, but they are difficult, are not always successful, and are almost never funded on the NHS. For this reason you should make your decision as if reversal is not an option. If there is any chance you might change your mind, a long-acting reversible method (such as a coil or implant) is usually a better choice.
Sterilisation does not protect against sexually transmitted infections, and it does not start working straight away — you need to keep using your usual contraception until your clinician confirms it is safe to stop.
Types & techniques
There isn't one single operation. The right approach depends on you — which is something to discuss with your surgeon.
Sterilisation compared with long-acting reversible contraception
| Point | Female sterilisation | Implant or coil (LARC) |
|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness | Very high | As high, or higher |
| Reversible? | Intended permanent; reversal hard and rarely funded | Yes — removed when you wish |
| Operation needed? | Yes, usually keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic | No — fitted in a clinic |
| How long it lasts | Permanent | 3–10 years, then replaced if wanted |
| Affects partner | No | No (vasectomy is the male option) |
Many UK services now suggest trying or at least discussing a long-acting reversible method first, because it avoids surgery and can be undone. Vasectomy is also worth discussing as a couple — it is a smaller procedure with a lower failure rate.
Preparing for your surgery
- Have a careful discussion about permanence: be sure you would not want children even if your relationship or circumstances changed.
- Ask specifically about long-acting reversible contraception (implant, hormonal or copper coil) and vasectomy, so you are choosing sterilisation against the real alternatives.
- Keep using reliable contraception right up to the operation, and be certain you are not already pregnant on the day.
- Tell the team about previous abdominal or pelvic surgery, infections or a high body weight, as these can make keyhole surgery harder.
- Mention all medicines and supplements, especially blood thinners, and follow fasting instructions for the anaesthetic.
- Arrange a lift home and ideally someone with you for the first night, as you will have had a general anaesthetic.
- Plan a few days of lighter activity, and ask whether you should keep taking contraception afterwards until your next period.
What happens
Sterilisation is usually done as a day case under general anaesthetic, so you are asleep. The surgeon makes one or two small cuts near your tummy button, gently inflates the abdomen with gas to see clearly, and passes a thin telescope (laparoscope) inside.
The fallopian tubes are then blocked with clips, sealed, or removed completely, depending on the method agreed with you. The whole operation usually takes around 30 minutes.
The small cuts are closed with stitches or glue and covered with dressings. Most people wake up in recovery, have something to eat and drink, and go home the same day once the anaesthetic has worn off and they are comfortable.
Is this operation right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- You are not completely certain you never want children, or you might feel differently if your circumstances changed — a reversible method is safer.
- You are being pressured by a partner, family or anyone else, rather than making a free, settled choice.
- You are deciding at an emotionally charged time, such as during pregnancy, just after a birth, or during a relationship crisis.
- A long-acting reversible method or vasectomy would meet your needs with less risk and the option to change your mind.
- You have a medical condition that makes keyhole surgery or general anaesthetic unduly risky.
Delay surgery if…
- There is any chance you are already pregnant.
- You have an active pelvic or other infection.
- Your circumstances or feelings about future children are currently unsettled.
- You have not yet had a full discussion about reversible alternatives such as the implant, coil or vasectomy.
- You have an unstable medical problem that should be optimised before an anaesthetic.
Alternatives to discuss
- Long-acting reversible contraception — the implant, or a hormonal or copper coil — which is at least as effective and can be removed.
- Vasectomy for a male partner, which is a smaller procedure with a lower failure rate.
- Other contraception such as the pill, patch, ring or injection if a temporary method suits better.
- No procedure, and continuing with your current method if it works for you.
- Salpingectomy (removing the tubes) instead of clips if you do choose surgery, which some surgeons prefer.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Anaesthetic choices
The safest option depends on the operation, your health, the facility and your surgeon/anaesthetist. Ask what is planned and why.
Benefits
- Very effective, permanent contraception once confirmed
- Nothing to remember, take or top up day to day
- No hormones, so no hormonal side effects
- Does not affect your periods, ovaries or sex life
- Removing the tubes (salpingectomy) may also lower the future risk of one type of ovarian cancer
Risks & complications
- Tummy or shoulder-tip discomfort from the gas used during keyhole surgery, settling over a few days
- Bruising, soreness or tenderness around the small cuts
- Feeling tired or unwell for a day or two after the general anaesthetic
- Wound infection or a slow-healing small wound
- The operation needing to be changed to a larger (open) cut if keyhole access is difficult
- Bleeding or a collection of blood at the operation site
- Failure of the method, so pregnancy happens later
- Damage to the bowel, bladder or blood vessels during keyhole surgery, which may need further surgery
- Ectopic pregnancy if the method fails — a pregnancy in the tube, which can be life-threatening
- Serious problems related to the general anaesthetic, including blood clots
The two points that matter most are permanence and failure. Sterilisation can fail even years later — UK guidance quotes a lifetime failure rate of roughly 2 to 5 in 1,000 for clip sterilisation — and if a pregnancy does occur after sterilisation, it is more likely to be ectopic, which is an emergency. Ask your surgeon about their preferred method, the failure rate they quote, and exactly what symptoms should make you seek urgent help.
Published figures to discuss
Failure and complication rates vary with the method used, the surgeon's experience, your anatomy and your body weight. The figures below are cautious ranges from UK guidance and should be discussed in relation to your own situation. Regret is not a complication of the operation, but it is common enough that it is treated as a central part of consent.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifetime failure (clip sterilisation) | About 2–5 in 1,000 over 10 years | Pregnancy can occur years later; any later pregnancy is more likely to be ectopic and needs urgent assessment. | NHS — Female sterilisationnhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Failure (hysteroscopic method) | Around 2 in 1,000 where quoted | Rarely offered now in the UK as the main device was withdrawn from sale. | NHS — Female sterilisationnhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Later regret | About 1 in 10 overall; higher (around 12%) at age 30 or under versus around 6% over 30 | Regret is more likely when younger, or when the decision is made around pregnancy, birth or a relationship crisis. | NHS — Female sterilisationnhs.ukPublished figure |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
Recovery — what to expect, and when
Recovery from keyhole sterilisation is usually quick. Most people are home the same day and back to normal activities within a few days to a week, with the small wounds healing over a couple of weeks.
- Mild tummy ache, bloating or shoulder-tip pain from the gas for a few days
- Tenderness, bruising and small scabs around the keyhole cuts
- Feeling tired for a day or two after the anaesthetic
- A slightly different first period after the operation
Aftercare
- Keep using reliable contraception until your clinician confirms sterilisation is working.
- Keep the small wounds clean and dry, and follow advice on showering and dressings.
- Take simple pain relief such as paracetamol as needed for soreness.
- Build back up to normal activity over a few days as comfort allows.
- Do not drive until you feel safe, alert and able to do an emergency stop, and check your insurer's advice.
- Attend any follow-up arranged, and keep the clinic's contact number to hand.
- Use condoms as well if there is any risk of sexually transmitted infection, as sterilisation gives no protection.
- Reliable contraception to continue until confirmed safe to stop
- Simple pain relief at home
- Loose, comfortable clothing for sore tummy
- A lift home and ideally someone for the first night
- A few days of lighter duties planned
- Clinic's out-of-hours number saved
- A note of the warning signs that need urgent help
Scars and how they heal
Keyhole sterilisation usually leaves one or two very small cuts, often around the tummy button and low on the abdomen. These are normally a centimetre or less, are closed with dissolvable stitches or glue, and fade to small, discreet marks over a few months. If the operation has to be changed to an open procedure, the scar will be larger; your surgeon should explain this possibility beforehand.
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- A missed or unusual period, or any sign you might be pregnant — pregnancy after sterilisation may be ectopic and needs urgent assessment
- Severe or one-sided lower tummy pain, especially with dizziness or feeling faint (possible ectopic pregnancy)
- Increasing tummy pain, swelling or pain that is not controlled by simple pain relief
- A high temperature, or a wound that is red, hot, swollen or leaking
- Heavy or persistent vaginal bleeding
- A swollen, hot or painful calf, or chest pain or breathlessness (possible blood clot)
Who to contact: your surgeon or clinic first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
When it works, sterilisation gives reliable, permanent contraception with nothing to remember. But no method is perfect: the tubes can occasionally rejoin or the method can fail, sometimes years later, so a small chance of pregnancy always remains. A responsible service explains that it is intended to be irreversible, confirms when you can rely on it, and makes sure you know that any future pregnancy must be checked urgently for ectopic pregnancy.
Sterilisation is intended to last for life. The clips or removed tubes do not need replacing or maintaining. The very small failure rate continues over the years, which is why any later pregnancy symptoms should always be taken seriously rather than assumed impossible.
Combining with other procedures
Sterilisation is sometimes done at the same time as another planned operation, such as a caesarean section or other pelvic surgery, to avoid a separate anaesthetic. Because regret is reported more often when the decision is tied to pregnancy or birth, combining it this way should be agreed well in advance, not decided in the moment.
Follow-up & long-term care
Some methods, such as removing the tubes, are considered effective straight away, while others mean continuing contraception until your next period; your team will tell you which applies. There is not usually a routine long-term follow-up, so it is important you understand when you can stop other contraception and which symptoms need urgent help.
Revision and secondary surgery reality
- Reversal is technically possible but difficult, is not always successful, and is almost never funded on the NHS — plan as if it cannot be undone.
- If clips fail or symptoms persist, removing the tubes (salpingectomy) may be advised.
- If a pregnancy occurs after sterilisation, urgent assessment is needed to exclude an ectopic pregnancy.
Ask your surgeon for their own revision rate, what counts as a revision, and what is included in the written aftercare policy.
What good aftercare looks like
- Clear written confirmation of when you can stop other contraception and rely on the sterilisation.
- Written warning signs for ectopic pregnancy and a named contact route if you think you might be pregnant.
- Wound-care advice and a number to call out of hours for problems.
- An honest discussion, before surgery, that reversal is not realistically available.
- A check that the decision was free, informed and not made under pressure or in crisis.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- Surgeon's fee and the method used (clips versus removing the tubes)
- Anaesthetist's fee for the general anaesthetic
- Theatre and day-case facility fees
- Pre-operative consultation and any tests
- Whether it is combined with another operation, such as a caesarean
- Follow-up appointments and management of any complication
- The operating surgeon's fee and which method is included
- Anaesthetist and theatre or day-case facility fees
- Pre-operative consultation and tests
- Follow-up appointments included in the price
- What happens, and what it costs, if the operation has to become an open procedure
- The clinic's policy if a complication occurs or the method later fails
- Confirmation that reversal is not included and is rarely funded
On the NHS? Female sterilisation is available on the NHS, though some areas ask you to consider a long-acting reversible method first; reversal is almost never funded, and people sometimes choose private treatment for quicker timing.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Not being clearly told it is intended to be permanent and irreversible, and that reversal is rarely funded.
- Not discussing that long-acting reversible methods and vasectomy are at least as effective and can be undone.
- Glossing over the failure rate and the higher chance of ectopic pregnancy if it fails.
- Consenting around the time of a birth or a crisis, when regret is more likely.
- No clear instructions on when to stop other contraception or which symptoms need urgent help.
Marketing red flags
- Describing it as a 'quick and simple' fix without spelling out permanence and failure.
- Implying it is easily reversible if you change your mind.
- Not mentioning reversible alternatives or vasectomy as part of the discussion.
- Encouraging a decision at an emotional moment, such as just after a birth.
- No discussion of ectopic pregnancy risk if the method fails.
Choosing a surgeon safely
- Check your surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they practise at a CQC-registered location, and look for membership of bodies like BAAPS or BAPRAS.
- You're entitled to a two-stage consent process with time to reflect (a cooling-off period). The surgeon who will operate must consent you — not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers, discounts or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.
- Which method do you recommend for me — clips or removing the tubes — and why?
- What failure rate do you quote, and what should I do if I think I might be pregnant afterwards?
- Have we fully considered a coil, implant or vasectomy as reversible alternatives?
- When exactly can I stop using other contraception?
- What are the specific risks for me, given my weight, past surgery or other health problems?
- What symptoms after the operation should make me seek urgent help?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the surgeon who carries out my operation, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this operation not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Is female sterilisation reversible?
How effective is it, and can I still get pregnant?
Is sterilisation better than the coil, implant or vasectomy?
Will it change my periods, hormones or sex life?
Can I have it on the NHS, or is it private?
Why do doctors sometimes advise against it if I'm young?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: NHS — Female sterilisation RCOG — Female Sterilisation (Consent Advice No. 3) Brook — Female sterilisation (tubal occlusion) NICE — Long-acting reversible contraception (CG30)
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
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